Fluid driven motor



April 6, 1965 H. B. RICE FLUID DRIVEN MOTOR Filed Feb. 14. 1962 United States Patent O inea rea. is, 1962, ser. No. risers 1 claim. (ci. ass- 2) This application relates to a iiuid driven motor ernploying the principle of the device disclosed in application Serial No. 3,205, filed January 8, i960, now Patent No. 3,097,554.

In the copending application there is disclosed a fluid driven mechanism that is adapted for use as a motor and which has particular application to a driving means for a tool. In general, the invention disclosed in the copending application comprises a casing in which a rotor is oatingly mounted, and orbital movement of the rotor is achieved by a tangentially directed jet of uid within the casing.

The present invention is an improvement on the previously disclosed device in that it provides a rotatably mounted shaft which cooperates with the tioatingly mounted rotor to permit rotation of the shaft as the rotor is driven through its orbital movement.

The main object of the present invention is therefore the provision of a motor which includes an output shaft adapted to be driven by an orbitally moving fluid driven motor so that said shaft may be employed las the driving member of a tool or may be used to do other useful work.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a motor construction that is extremely simple to manufacture; that is eicient in operation without close tolerances, and is particularly adapted for use in applications wherein rough usage and abrasion is experienced.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a motor which consists generally of a casing, a driven shaft and a plurality of rotors, assembled so as to take advantage of the simplicity characteristic of the device disclosed in the above noted copending application.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification and from the drawings where- FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a motor constructed in accordance with the invention, broken away and in section to show internal structure. 'Ihe motor is shown in combination with a Well drilling bit.

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 are cross sectional views as taken in planes indicated by corresponding numerals in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of a motor showing a modied form thereof.

The invention is adapted for use with any iluid including liquid and gas, but will be described by way of example as used to drive as well drilling bit of the type employed to drill oil wells. It will subsequently be apparent that the invention is particularly applicable to well drilling lbecause the fluid under pressure which is used to drive the motor may be discharged from the motor so as to carry the cuttings away from the drilling bit in much the same manner as in conventional turbodrius.

Turbodrills have heretofore had only a limited use in this country although the principle involved in the use of such turbodrills is sound. The soundness of the principle follows from the fact that the cutting fluid which must be used to carry away the cuttings is employed to do useful work in driving the turbodrill betere `it is directed on the bit. The lack of success of turbodrills for drilling oil wells in this country is attributable in part to the relatively delicate nature of the turbine which is exposed to the abrasive action of the drilling mud.

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Furthermore, the various cooperating parts of the turbine must, of necessity, be made to close tolerances, thus increasing the cost of manufacture and enhancing the likelihood of injury to the turbine which is normally subject to rouge usage.

As kwill be seen, the present invention is ideal as a substitute for turbodrills because of its extreme simplicity and because it lends itself to a construction which practically deties wear and which is operable at relatively high eiciency even with wide tolerance in the various parts.

In detail, and first with reference to FIG. 1, the preierred form of the invention comprises a casing generally designated 1 which is formed intermediate its ends by a plurality of transverse walls 2 spaced apart by annular rings 3.

There are six identical rings 3 and seven identical walls 2 shown in PEG. 1 so as to form six power cylinders. The casing is completed by a top wall 6 and a bottom wall 7. For the purpose of Well drilling a lifting eye it)` may be fastened to top `wall o by bolts lll so that the cylinder may -be supported from a cable (not shown) by means of any appropriate wire rope connector 12.

It will be seen that each pair of adjacent walls 2 and the ring 3 that is interposed between them define a power cylinder l5, so that said walls 2 are, in eiect, endwalls of the cylinders and the ring 3 constitutes a sidewall.

Each endwall 2 is provided with a central opening 15 which permits passage therethrough of a shaft 2Q which is rotatably supported at its upper end in a thrust bearing 2l carried by top wall 6, and at its lower end in a thrust bearing 22 carried by bottom wall 7.

The top and lbottom walls o, 7 and the intermediate endwalls 2 and sidewalls 3 of the casing are all xedly secured together by bolts 25 which extend through holes formed in the above mentioned casing forming elements and which are tightened on the parts-by nuts 26 (FIG. l).

As best seen in FIGS. 2 4, three bolts 25 are indicated in the drawings but a greater number may obviously be employed if required.

Each of the casing forming elements, except lowermost endwall 2 and bottom wall 7, is drilled to form an axially extending passageway 28 opening outwardly of the top wall 6 and provided with a fitting 30 on top wall 6 (FIG. l) for securement thereto of a flexible hose 31 or other suitable conduit for conducting lfluid to passageway 2S.

The uid is conducted from passageway 2S into each of the power cylinders l5 through transversely extending passageways 35 which enter the cylinders i5 tangentially of the inner 'cylindrical side 36 of the sidewalls 3. As indicated in FIG. l these passageways 35 may be conveniently formed by drilling through the axially extending bore 2S from the outer periphery of t the sidewalls 3 in the required direction and then inserting a plug 37 in the outer end of each passageway 35 as by welding. It will be apparent the inner discharge ends of the transverse passaways 35 may be formed to an exact shape consistent with accepted nozzle design taking into account the particular variables applicable. However, for the purpose of this invention the exact design of the nozzle portions of passageways 35 is not disclosed except that the jet discharged from-passageway T15 should be directed substantially tangentially of the inner sidewalls E.

Mounted on the shaft 20 are a plurality of rotors 4t! each of which is keyed to said shaft as by a key il so as to permit shifting of the rotors dil relative to the shaft 2d in an axial direction but insuring rotation of the rotors with the shaft.

- power cylinder to lanother.

As best seen in FIGS. 2-4, adjacent rotors of the lower three are eccentric to the shaft but the yangles of eccentricity are 120 degrees apart so as to result in a balanced mechanism. Similarly, the upper three rotors are ec-, centric and balanced, with the two central rotors of the motor being identically positioned Vrelative tothe shaft.

. This particular method of balancingv the motor is shown only as one example and other methods may be applied consistent with good engineering practice. To reducey iuidfriction it is desir-able to recess the opposite circular sides of the rotors dll, centrally or the saine to provide annular faces` 45 adjacent the periphery thereor. For the purpose of permitting exhaustuid to dow -axially ofthe motor each rotor 4l) is drilled with axially extending holes 46 spaced radially inwardly from annular face 45. Y

As noted above, the plates 2 which constitute endwalls vfor 'adjacent power cylinders are provided with centralV openings 16v through which shaft'ltl is received. These openings 16 are suciently lar-ge to permit un` Y. Y a Y wandly V.against a very large pressure head in many. instances. However, as Vlong asthe inlet pressure `in hose 31 is greater than that required to dischargeV the mud lfrom the well the motor will operate efficiently because I only adiierence in pressure between said inlet and the Voutlet is required.y ItwillrbeY noted that'the design of the motor .is such that it will withstand high pressures' even though only a relatively small diferentialpressure,

ture.

lar shape Iifdesir'ed by` providing the 'shaft with integral restricted passage otfluid axially of'the motor from one into each power cylinder ilo-ws radially inwardly between n the rotor and the adjacent endwalls and` may then, low

downwardly through openings 16 inthe endwalls 2` and holes Vi6 inthe rotors. The bottom plate 7 lis Vprovided lwith a plurality of discharge openings 5@ arranged around bearing 22 `and is also provided with lan upwardly Vopeningy central Irecess S1 through which the discharge fluid is conducted from the opening 16 in Ithe lowermostrend- .wall 2' to the discharge openings 5). Y i

lIt willv be seen from FIG. 1 that the holes 5t) may be drilled -at anangle so as to direct the fluid on cutting elements 53 of the drilling bit 54. y

In operation, the drilling mud, or whatever fluid is employed, is conducted through hose .3l to axially extending passageway 2S from which the fluid branches oli Vto each of the powercylinders ,through the transverse passageways 35. As explained in copending applica- InV the -form of the invention v Vshown in jFlG. 1 fluid discharged thro-ugh nozzles 35 Veccentric portions as indicated iny themodiiied` form of -FIG.5.'K Y t L, l In this. modiedffonm of the invention theshaf-t et). is

formed with a plurali-ty of integral eccentric portions 6l.: on eachV of which an annular 4rotor 62 is rotatably mounted.V lt willV ybe seen thatY Such :a structure permits axial:

, movement of the rotor relative to the. `shaft as. in the preferred form. However with the structure of FIG. 5. it is not necessaryl to key the shaft to the rotorV or to secure it .in Vany other manner. 63V similar to` holes 46 are provided 4in eccentric portions 61.k l

`The number and sizeof the holes 46 .in rotorsdil may be increased substantially over that shown in FIGS. 2-4l since the load applied thereto is not substantial.

Although the particular embodiment above described 'i provides for axial 'flow of the discharge fluid. in one direction only, itwill be apparent that in other applica- At-ions of vthe invention axialV flow in oppositeu directions may be permitted. In the structure of yFIG. 1 such a Y modication may be accomplished by substituting Van.

tion Serial No. 3,205,5the tangentially directed iluid from j I pasageways 35 drives the rotors 4@ in a clockwise direcltion -as-Seen in FIGS. 2-4 and thus turns shaft Ztl. It

will be noted in the'instantfcase that-the. amount of eccentricity of each rotor relative to shaft 2) is such that `the rotor just clears' the inner cylindrical surface 36 ofl pending 'application in that'the fluid continuously flows radially inwardly along the opposite sides of the rotor so that therotor is tloatingly mounted and does not come yin contact with any adjacent surface while the motor is.. running. It will Ybe understood that `the keys 41' on shatt 2t) permit axial movement of the rotors vso that the fluid may llowv past both sides of Vthe saine; the distance between adjacent endwall plates 2 being sufficiently greater than the thickness of each rotor to .provide ample space for relatively unobstructed V`ilow of fluid radially inwardly of each power cylinder.

VAlthough drilling mud may include solid particles in suspension it will be noted that the clearances between relatively moving parts of the Vmotor may be great enough so that no galling is likely to occur. Furthermore, since.kr

vapertu'red pla-teV similar .toibottom plate 7 for the top The invention isV particularly adapted for use as a water driven motorin locations where ahead of water is avail-1 able and it is desired to convert the water power by means ofwanV inexpensive, 'readily lassembled mo-tor which requires a minimum of attention.. Although the eiliciency of this motorrmay. not compare favorably with water turbines-generally employed -in hydroelectric plants, the above mentioned advantages Y' make the presentinvention practical in Vmany instances, such as in geographically remoteV locations, where a. complicated and expensive turbine would be impractical.

.ll claim: v

A iluid driven motor comprising; arshaft,V a casing formed. with a plurality of cylindersY axiallyV spaced along said shaft Y hearingson opposite ends ofsaid casing for rotatably Isupporting said shaft, Y Y a plurality of rotors respectively received in said cylinders Y said rotors each being secured to said shaft for rotation therewith Y said cylinders each `being formed by a pair of opposed endwalls on opposite sides of a rotor and a circumierentially extending cylindrical sidewall concentric v4withthe axis of said shaft, said endwalls each being provided with a central open- -ing land'being in lapping relationship 4at all' times with the adjacent faces of said rotor, Ya discharge nozzle in each of said sidewalls for direct- Ying lluid into each said cylinders in a direction generally tangential'ly thereof Y discuter-cylindrical periphery of'each of y'said rotors Y being eccentric to theaxis of said shaft and being smaller in diameter than the*V inner diameterof the adjacent sidewall to define a circumferentially extending unobstructed passageway of varying radial extent between said rotor and said sidewall. f

i (References on following page) The rotors dtlmay, be .formed'to asymmetrical annu- Axially extending holes References Cited by the Examiner UNTTED STATES PATENTS CampbeIl.

Wegner 253-55 Fournier 10S-130 Nash 253-55 Ioynt et a1. 230-145 NOrdI-ing 121-68 Lachaise. 253-50 X Dove 103-112 6/59 Ellis 253-2 X 7/ 63 Rice et al. 253-4() FOREIGN PATENTS 5 1,045,129 6/53 France.

14,351 of 1852l Great Britain.

KARL I. ALBRECHT, Primary Examiner.

WALTER BERLOWITZ, JOSEPH H. BRANSON, IR.,

Examiners. 

